OCR Text |
Show DECEMBERS, 1991 PAGES (pttanimoMBftai'ipy Student says stop cop bashing By Ken Gourdin Copy Editor editorial I recently noticed a two-wor- d written in chalk on a campus sidewalk. It said "Cops suck." I lake tilings like that personally, because nty father has been taking abuse from people with that attitude for over 30 years. He is a sargeant with the police force in my hometown. Tlte author of that editorial has no doubt seen more than enough from one side of this issue. Because I've grown up around law enforcement, I've seen it from the other side, an opportunity which the author of that editorial probably hasnt had. When we think of police officers, we probably think of people who are "never" there when we need them (when we or our property are threatened) and who are "always" there when we don't need them (in our rear-viemirrors, lights flashing.) However, one thing the author of that editorial needs to realize is that we in this country take our rights for granted. If you don't believe this, ask anyone who has lived in another country for any length of time. In oilier parts of the world, these rights are regularly violated, not only by the criminal, but by the police as well What's more, those violations aren't even considered unusual! They're just a part of everyday life. Most of the time when it comes to law enlorcemenl , out of sight means out of mind. Only when we see that occasional police cniiser are we reminded that we are being We have no idea how many protected. crimes are deterred by the mere presence of enforcement officers, how many crimes by their intervention, and how many crimes are actually solved by them after tliey do occur. Ignorance of all of these things breeds lack of appreciation in turn. "Yes, it's true was doing 70 in a 55," we sav. "But what about the guy who just passed me doing 80? It's unfair for you to get me and not him!" We don't mind if the laws are enforced as long as they're enforced against someone else. We forget lliat cops dont write the laws, tliey just enforce them. If we don't like a certain law, we have the power to change it. Have we lorgotten that, or do we just lake that power for granted? Did we vote in the last election? Have we written our national and si ate representatives lately, or would we just prefer to complain while we wait for someone else to do something about a law we think is unfair? We also don't realize that the closest we could come to enforcing the law fairly would be to have one cop for every citizen. Many cities don't even have two cops for every .000 citizens, so what are we supposed to do? The surest way to see that we arent subject to "unfair" treatment by the police is this- don't violate the law'. Its ironic how much less we care about that guy doing 80 "lien we're doing 55. law are prevented 1 1 "But don't cops have anything better to do than give us speeding tickets?" we ask. "Why don't they worry about real crime?" In large cities, major crimes happen every day. On television shows, they happen every week. But not in places like St. George. I'm not saying that crime doesn't happen here. I'm just saying that major crime doesn't happen here every day. But crime is crime, and we run the risk of being subject to a penalty whether wre kill someone or whether were d on the accelerator. The surest way not to be subject to the penalty for murder is to not kill anyone. The surest way not to be subject to the penalty for speeding is to not speed. "What if we're pulled over and we aren't doing anything," we say. The law says that an officer has to have a reason to pull someone over, and "doing nothing" doesn't qualify. The reason might be a broken tail light, or it may be that somebody resembles someone the officer has seen in a police bulletin. heavy-foote- The law is also very specific when defining other crimes and stating what law enforcement officers can and cannot do about them. Often, the reason why "the cops dont do anything" is because, by law, they can't . A badge is an instrument of power, btij not of unlimited power. The law puts numerous restraints on that power, most of which the private citizen is unaware. There are things we can do i f we feel we've been treated unfairly, like getting the officer's name and badge number, calling his or her agency during business hours and telling them wed like to register a complaint about officer conduct. They can connect us with the appropriate person to talk to. Numbers for local agencies are: Dixie ext. 325; St. College Security, 673-481- And finally, we don't give cops enough credit for being human. On television, crimes and solutioas come in nice neat little hour packages. Theres never been a victim of crime that hasn't wished this was so in the real world, and who hasn't gotten frustrated because it isn't. Upholding the law not only means enforcing it when it's violated, but also operating within the limits it has set. "Why call the cops," we say. "They'll never do anything anyway." Part of the fnistration in statements like this stems from the fact that we don't realize what the law says cops can and cannot do. Take "harrassment," for example. I can't g count the number of times as a I've heard someone say, "He' 'harrassing' me, and I want something done about it!..." Harrassment is a word we throw around so much it has almost become meaningless. But under law, it very definitely does mean Legally, for someone to be something. guilty of harrassment, the threats we normally associate with this act have to be in ride-alon- George Police, Washington and Utah County Sheriffs Office, Highway Patrol (Cedar City Office) 634-500- 634-573- Lei's slop "cop hashing." Law without law enforcement would be anarchy, and nobody wants that! writing. "We forget that cops don't write the laws, they just enforce them. If we don't like a certain law, we have the power to change it." Maybe we don't think some reasons for being "harrassed by the police" are very good, but it might be surprising to learn how many crimes are discovered because an officer stops someone for a minor traffic violation. Forexample.anofficermight run a check on the vehicle to find that it's been stolen. Or, an officer might mil a check on the driver to find that he or she is wanted for another crime. In either case, there is a victim (of vehicle theft or perhaps an assault) who is grateful the officer was alert enough to be suspicious. Since most of us are law abiding, it's uncomfortable for us to think that we might be suspected by the police foranylhing. But isn't it worth it to endure a lillle suspicion since that same suspicion often leads to the apprehension of criminals also? I I I . I Buy One Footlong Sandwich At Regular Price And Get A Second Footlong Sandwich Of Comparible Value For Buy One Footlong Sandwich At Regular Price And Get A Second Footlong Sandwich Of Comparible Value ONLY $.99 Absolutely FREE Does Not Apply To Super Subs.. Limit One Sandwich Per Coupon. Does Not Apply To Super Subs.. Limit One Sandwich Per Coupon. Expires 123191 Expires 123191 FIVE LOCATIONS FIVE LOCATIONS T65B 700S. ST. GEORGE S14N. BL0FT8T. ST- - GEORGE 624 W. BTATK, HTzRIUCANR 667 S MAIN, CKtAR CITY 164 K. 306 F, RANAB 5HN. SLUFTfiT. BT. OKOROB 524 W. STATE, HURRICANE ear a. main, csuas errr 768 R a 184 R. TOO A fit. GKOA(3 300 & EANAB && |